Fashion. Off The Cuff.

Wacky Goings-on During Fashion Week

NEW YORK — Three things command attention beyond the 1996 spring ready-to-wear shows during Fashion Week: egos, the crowds and egos who want to stand out from the crowd.

Cases in point:

The egos: A certain model with a shocking-pink crew cut and a dragon tattooed on her skull showed up for Matsuda's Sunday afternoon fashion show with her own makeup artist and announced that she would not be wearing the makeup that all the other models were wearing, thank you very much. "I never wear M.A.C," she said.

The crowds: At the M.A.C store in the Village, when it gets too crowded, customers have to queue up outside until a security guard motions them inside.

The egos who want to stand out from the crowd: Nothing will make you want to leave New York faster than the predictable fashion crowd itself. Of course, for one heady moment, when an actor from "Central Park West" sits down next to you and turns on the TV charm, you might actually think, "I could live here. I could do this." And then someone steps on your foot. And whacks their Prada bag into your head. And the moment passes.

But it was a refreshing change of pace to head downtown to the Palladium to check out the closing night ceremonies of the first Alternative Fashion Week. Alternative Week is for 75 up-and-coming designers who are too new, too left-of-center and too broke to stage a show in the Bryant Park tents.

At the Palladium, there was an energy in the air. This standout crowd--mostly slacker age--was there to celebrate creativity, which meant no one was decked out in the fashion insider's uniform of black and more black, neat little haircut, Vamp nail polish.

Instead, there was the woman at the door whose shaved head was painted black in a trompe l'oeil hairstyle. With her Clara Bow mouth, painted-on eyebrows and elaborate false eyelashes, the effect was that of an Art Deco artist's rendition of a silent screen star. Except, of course, for the strategically pierced body parts. And then there was the middle-aged, man who posed demurely in his sheer black apron pants, the fabric draped just so to show off his legs.

Compared to this, the runway show was a bit of a disappointment. There were a few space-age concoctions; a peekaboo green negligee/S&M ensemble from Kitty Boots; and a faux leopard print dress with a zippered slit that revealed butt cheeks and ripped fishnets.

But when it came to alternative edge, the crowd had it over the designers in spades.

Except for the finale, when that certain model with the shocking-pink crew cut lumbered out onto the runway. We can assume she wasn't was wearing M.A.C.